Garda Vetting Service provided by Fingal Volunteer Centre

Information on Garda Vetting Service provided by Fingal Volunteer Centre

The aim of this document is to distribute information regarding Garda vetting of volunteers and minimise confusion surrounding the service provided by An Garda Síochána.

What is Garda Vetting?

Garda Vetting is the process by which a Garda Vetting Application Form is submitted to An Garda Síochána Vetting Office asking them to check if a person has any convictions and/or prosecutions, successful or not, pending or completed, recorded against their name.

Do volunteers need to be vetted?

At present, there is no legal requirement to vet volunteers, although this will be introduced at some point in the future. Many organisations choose to make it a policy to vet volunteers who work with children and vulnerable adults and / or are responsible for finances. However, most organisations recognise that not all volunteers may need to be vetted. For example, volunteers working in administration, doing practical work, providing professional services or a range of other volunteer opportunities may not need to be vetted as they are not interacting with the clients or directly involved in finance and will never have an opportunity to do so.

It is up to the organisation to decide whether or not a volunteer position requires vetting. This should be assessed while the organisation is in the process of developing the job description for each individual volunteer position. Whether the volunteer is being vetted or not it is important to conduct reference checks as these provide vital character reference information that is not available in a Garda Vetting check. (Fingal Volunteer Centre will supply you with in-depth information and training on the process). It is important to remember that Garda Vetting is but one stage of the screening of volunteers. If you require further information regarding screening of volunteers and appropriate methods of recruitment and selection, please contact us This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Garda Vetting and Volunteer Centres

Volunteer Centres Ireland and its member volunteer centres, as part of our commitment to supporting and promoting volunteering have introduced a Garda Vetting service for voluntary and community groups within their local areas. All Volunteer Centres now act as an Authorised Signatory for Garda Vetting purposes for voluntary and community organisations that do not otherwise have access to an authorised signatory. VCI and member Volunteer Centres have developed a number of documents to ensure best practice in and assist organisations with Garda Vetting and an agreement on the service with the Garda Vetting Unit and Data Protection.

What is an Authorised Signatory?

An Authorised Signatory is a person who has completed the training supplied by the Garda Central Vetting Unit and is authorised to act as the liaison between the organisation requesting vetting and the Garda Central Unit.

Will An Garda Síochána vet volunteers?

The Garda Central Vetting Unit already provides a volunteer vetting service for most large community and voluntary organisations throughout the country via an ‘authorised signatory’ within that organisation. This means that a member of staff within that organisation has been trained to be the link between the Garda Vetting Unit and the organisation. However, they do not currently have the resources to provide this service to smaller organisations. In response to this, the members of Volunteer Centres Ireland have worked with the Garda Vetting Unit to train a designated staff member in each volunteer centre in each county to act as an Authorised Signatory between local voluntary and community organisations and the Garda Vetting unit.

What does this mean for your organisation?

If your organisation does not have access to an Authorised Signatory and you require Garda Vetting, your local volunteer centre can process the vetting paperwork for your volunteers. This paperwork is then forwarded to the Garda Central Vetting Unit.

How does it work?

For details on the process in your area, please contact your local volunteer centre. In general, to avail of this service:

• Your organisation will be required to register with your local volunteer centre.

• Your organisation will be required to meet with/attend training about the Garda Vetting process with your local volunteer centre.

• Your organisation will be expected to have certain policies and procedures in place before commencing Garda Vetting, for example, confidentiality policy, data protection policy, Garda Vetting policy. Copies of generic polices can be obtained from your local volunteer centre.

• Your organisation will be required to sign an agreement with your local volunteer centre giving them the authority to act on your behalf as an Authorised Signatory for Garda Vetting purposes.

Garda Vetting – a quick guide to the process

1. The Volunteer Centre will act as the Authorised Signatory on behalf of your organisation.

2. Prior to commencing, your Volunteer Centre will give you copies of relevant information documents and forms and will meet with you to discuss your needs

3. Once your organisation has signed and returned the required forms, the Volunteer Centre will begin the process of Garda Vetting for you.

4. Your organisation will be required to:

• Give volunteers/potential volunteers a copy of the Garda Vetting form and explain how important it is to fill it in correctly.

• Post the form/s and a completed checklist to the Manager, The Volunteer Centre, (provide full address).

5. The Volunteer centre will then submit all forms to the Garda Vetting office. Once the forms have been processed by the Garda Vetting Unit and returned to the Volunteer Centre, the Volunteer Centre will notify your organisation of same in writing or by email.

6. Copies of any disclosures will be forwarded to you by post. These forms must be returned to the Volunteer Centre within 3 weeks of being forwarded to you. Failure to return these disclosures may result in a discontinuation of the service.

Information on Garda Vetting Service provided by Fingal Volunteer CentreThe aim of this document is to distribute information regarding Garda vetting of volunteers and minimise confusion surrounding the service provided by An Garda Síochána.

What is Garda Vetting?Garda Vetting is the process by which a Garda Vetting Application Form is submitted to An Garda Síochána Vetting Office asking them to check if a person has any convictions and / or prosecutions, successful or not, pending or completed, recorded against their name.

Do volunteers need to be vetted?Since 29th April 2016 it is a legal requirement. Many organisations choose to make it a policy to vet volunteers who work with children and vulnerable adults and / or are responsible for finances. However, most organisations recognise that not all volunteers may need to be vetted. For example, volunteers working in administration, doing practical work, providing professional services or a range of other volunteer opportunities may not need to be vetted as they are not interacting with the clients or directly involved in finance and will never have an opportunity to do so.

It is up to the organisation to decide whether or not a volunteer position requires vetting. This should be assessed while the organisation is in the process of developing the job description for each individual volunteer position. Whether the volunteer is being vetted or not it is important to conduct reference checks as these provide vital character reference information that is not available in a Garda Vetting check. (Fingal Volunteer Centre will supply you with in-depth information and training on the process). It is important to remember that Garda Vetting is but one stage of the screening of volunteers. If you require further information regarding screening of volunteers and appropriate methods of recruitment and selection, please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Garda Vetting and Fingal Volunteer CentreFingal Volunteer Centre, as part of our commitment to supporting and promoting volunteering have introduced a Garda Vetting service for voluntary and community groups. All Volunteer Centres now act as an Authorised Signatory for Garda Vetting purposes for voluntary and community organisations that do not otherwise have access to an authorised signatory. Volunteer Ireland and member Volunteer Centres have developed a number of documents to ensure best practice in and assist organisations with Garda Vetting and an agreement on the service with the Garda Vetting Unit and Data Protection.

What is an Authorised Signatory?An Authorised Signatory is a person who has completed the training supplied by the Garda Central Vetting Unit and is authorised to act as the liaison between the organisation requesting vetting and the Garda Central Unit.

Will An Garda Síochána vet volunteers?The Garda Central Vetting Unit already provides a volunteer vetting service for most large community and voluntary organisations throughout the country via an ‘authorised signatory’ within that organisation. This means that a member of staff within that organisation has been trained to be the link between the Garda Vetting Unit and the organisation. However, they do not currently have the resources to provide this service to smaller organisations. In response to this, the members of Volunteer Ireland have worked with the Garda Vetting Unit to train a designated staff member in each volunteer centre in each county to act as an Authorised Signatory between local voluntary and community organisations and the Garda Vetting unit.What does this mean for your organisation?If your organisation does not have access to an Authorised Signatory and you require Garda Vetting, Fingal Volunteer Centre can process the vetting paperwork for your volunteers. This paperwork is then forwarded to the Garda Central Vetting Unit.

How does it work?For details on the process in your area, please contact Fingal Volunteer Centre. In general, to avail of this service:

Your organisation will be required to register with us.

Your organisation will be required to meet with / attend training about the Garda Vetting process with us.

Your organisation will be expected to have certain policies and procedures in place before commencing Garda Vetting, for example, confidentiality policy, data protection policy, Garda Vetting policy. Copies of generic polices can be obtained from your local volunteer centre.

Your organisation will be required to sign an agreement with your local volunteer centre giving them the authority to act on your behalf as an Authorised Signatory for Garda Vetting purposes.

Garda Vetting – a quick guide to the process

Fingal Volunteer Centre will act as the Authorised Signatory on behalf of your organisation.

Prior to commencing, Fingal Volunteer Centre will give you copies of relevant information documents and forms and will meet with you to discuss your needs

Once your organisation has signed and returned the required forms, we will begin the process of Garda Vetting for you

Your organisation will be required to:

Give volunteers / potential volunteers a copy of the Garda Vetting form and explain how important it is to fill it in correctly

We will then submit all forms to the Garda Vetting office. Once the forms have been processed by the Garda Vetting Unit and returned to the Volunteer Centre, we will notify your organisation of same in writing or by email.

Copies of any disclosures will be forwarded to you by post. These forms must be returned to the Volunteer Centre within 3 weeks of being forwarded to you. Failure to return these disclosures may result in a discontinuation of the service.

For more information on this service please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or telephone (+353 1) 820 9550.

Latest Volunteer News

Minister Kyne announced on 22nd of March 2018 the launchof TrustIE - a pilot project aimed at supporting smaller local charities around board recruitment.

Mr Sean Kyne T.D. Minister of State at the Department of Rural & Community Development today announced the allocation of 20,000 euro for the roll out of TrustIE, a pilot programme aimed at helping smaller charities in recruiting voluntary trustees or directors.

The Minister conggratulated the Volunteer Centres for taking the initiative in developing this pilot project , which is aimed at raising awareness of the challenges and opportunities facing Trustees.

The Minister added that ''withthe modernisation of governance requirements in the Charity sector it is now more important thatn ever that Charities the the right Trustees with the right skill sets serving on their Boards''. The Minister added that ''the role local Volunteer Centres can play speaks volumes for their awareness of the needs of local gorups and the valuable contribution they make at the community level''.

The project involves a series of workshops fort both charities and potential volunteers; covering good governance, recruitment strategies and board rolds and responsibilities. TrustIE will also include a volunteer matching service to help smaller charities find trustees who have the right mix of skills and experience. The project will be carried out by the Dublin, Cork, Galway Volunteer Centres and will be reviewed with the Departmetn of Rural & Community Development on completion later this year.

Volunteer Ireland is delighted to announce that we are managing and delivering Investing in Volunteers (IiV), the national quality standard for good practice in volunteer management, in the Republic of Ireland.

Is your organisation interested in measuring the effectiveness of its volunteer programme and benchmarking the quality of your volunteer management and involvement? Then Investing in Volunteers is the ideal quality standard for you. Volunteer Ireland is currently seeking six organisations to be the first in Ireland to achieve the Investing in Volunteers standard.

The standards are applicable to all volunteer-involving organisations, regardless of size or number of volunteers involved. If you are interested in taking part or if you have any queries in relation to Investing in Volunteers please contact Terri O’Brien, Quality & Training Programme Manager at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 01 636 9446. For a copy of the standards go to the Volunteer Ireland web site Volunteer Ireland is working in partnership with Volunteer Now in Northern Ireland to deliver Investing in Volunteers, in the Republic of Ireland.